Sunday, May 27, 2012

Magpie Tales 119: Denial







in this death
together




the search for clues
began. never had 
they considered their
own closets, or under
their hats.  hiding 
valuables in shoes 
was common but 
uncomfortable, 


so no one could fathom 
why she walked so far 
for so long, then sat 
staring at the table


as if to bring him 
back to life; or why


her eyes gazed fixed 
on the sky, unblinking,
glazed. 


denial is the first step to 
abdicating responsibility. 




Poem © 2012 R. Burnett Baker 
Painting:  House At Dusk, 1935, Edward Hopper Shared by Tess Kincaid





12 comments:

  1. strong and dark- excellent- especialy the last two lines. This is a keeper for me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. dang this is tight rick...and like kathe said strong...really great piece man...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very deep and emotional. Lovely imagery, dark, powerful, sad.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think we caught the same mood. There's death and parting in this picture and you've captured it beautifully.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Extreme evocative of the emotion in this picture...

    ReplyDelete
  6. looks like the first stages of depression. the next stage would be not to leave the house at all, and stay in bed crying and sleeping.

    neither good nor bad

    ReplyDelete
  7. A pact gone wrong perhaps or something more sinister?

    ReplyDelete
  8. This poem is very focused and succinct. I love the idea of hidden clues, being a metaphor for the hidden lives lurking behind the windows of the building. Thank you for sharing this awesome poem, Rick. =D

    ReplyDelete
  9. terrific ending, read this a few times

    ReplyDelete
  10. A powerfully compelling piece. It rewrites itself with each read.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Denial certainly is a powerful force....and this has captured it eloquently Rick!! :-)

    ReplyDelete